Music as a Language: Lectures to Music Students

"Music as a Language: Lectures to Music Students" by Ethel Home is an instructive book from the early 1900's, that explores music as a vital and expressive language necessary for general education. Penned by the headmistress of Kensington High School, the lectures provide insightful training and teaching methods on teaching music to students. Home discusses a wide range of topics related to music education, like training music teachers, organizing music-related work for schools, and teaching techniques for key concepts, such as ear-training, sight-singing, voice production, and basic musical composition. She pushes for a well-organized way of educating students about music by relating it to self-expression and encouraging educators to value music as a fundamental part of the curriculum. Across the lectures, Home stresses how important it is for teachers to grow appreciation and understanding of music in students, ultimately placing music education as equally important as traditional subjects like grammar and geography.